PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND PROSCIUTTO

‘Tis the season for soups, pies and delicious pasta recipes. This Pasta with Mushrooms and Prosciutto is a delicious necessity to help ease us into the colder weather ahead. It makes the anticipation of staying inside feel a little less restricting and the sight of the first snowfall feel a little less chilly.

After Mike and I returned from the much anticipated Saveur Food Blog Awards in NYC, I was happily exhausted, but exhausted nonetheless. When it came time to get back to shooting recipes for the blog, I needed a boost of inspiration in the kitchen and behind the camera. Luckily, the cover of Bon Appétit’s October issue helped almost immediately.

During my time in New York, Saveur treated us to a pasta making class at Covina with Chef Tim Cushman. I have yet to practice my pasta-making technique at home, but the sight of this recipe reminded me of the class.

One of the dishes we got to try was their Cavatelli with wild mushrooms, summer squash, lemon zest, basil and parmesan & pecorino. My favorite part wasn’t just the delicious flavors of fresh handmade pasta, but also the smooth flavor of the wild mushrooms.

Can I let you in on a little secret? I only recently got into liking mushrooms and using them in my cooking. (gasp!) Whenever a recipe called for mushrooms, I would avoid them. One time Mike made us a Mushroom soup and it was so smooth and so good, I actually licked the bowl. It was then that I realized I love the flavor of mushrooms but struggle with the consistency. And, ever since, I have appreciated the importance of the flavor that mushrooms bring. Do you have any foods that you avoided and now realize you can’t live without?

This recipe comes together really nicely and would be a nice break from your usual weeknight dinners. Mike and I have our routine-recipes too, but it’s fun to switch it up during the week from time to time. The flavors of the pasta, thyme and mushroom sauce are wonderful together and the salty prosciutto is a really nice surprise.